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Sometimes called a “Vision Statement,” the statement of our Preferred Future is presented below in two sections. The first section (In A Nutshell) is an abbreviated version. The second section (Expanded Philosophy of Ministry), fleshes it out a little more fully. Both of these are snap-shots of how we intend for our Point Family to look and function, as we become what we believe God has called us to be.
A. In A Nutshell
We envision and intend to create:
A community centered on Christ and his grace; Based upon God’s Word; Dedicated to prayer; Committed to worship; Maintaining relationships that honor Christ; Built around small groups; Willing to change as needed; Raising up and respecting godly leaders; Prioritizing outreach and discipleship; Shaping our region for Christ; Committed to regular personal ministry; Committed to spiritual vitality and growth; Committed to working with other churches.
B. Expanded Philosophy of Ministry
Our Philosophy of Ministry is based upon what we believe to be God’s vision for Point. What follows is an expansion of the “In A Nutshell” statements above.
A community centered on Christ and his grace;
We envision a community of people who recognize their sinfulness, so have yielded their lives to Christ and who now live to bring glory to God. We envision a community of folks who know that we’re beggars who’ve found bread in Christ, and now are committed to bringing other beggars to the source.
We envision a community characterized by grace, where hurting people can find refuge and healing. We intend to practice encouragement, compassion, fellowship, and loving accountability as we grow together. We will never forget the depth of our own sin and the height of God’s grace, that saved us through Christ.
We will not seek growth by attracting established Christians from other churches, though we recognize this may happen. Rather, we will seek growth through working with Christ, as he brings broken people to himself.
We envision a community where nobody needs to get “cleaned up” in order to be part of our family. We recognize that all people are created in God’s image, and we will treat them as such. We will strive to demonstrate Christ’s compassion as Christ himself demonstrated it while among sinners. We will strive to do all things in love, as representatives of our Lord.
2. Based on God’s Word;
We envision a community that believes the Bible to be the Word of God. We are committed to regularly teaching God’s Word. When we offer preaching, our purpose will be to feed, challenge and encourage both insiders and outsiders. We intend to apply God’s Word to every aspect of our lives. We don’t want to merely learn about what the Bible says. Rather, we intend to apply it to our own lives, to be changed people as we ourselves follow Christ, and encourage others to join us. After Christ himself, scripture is our authority.
3. Dedicated to prayer;
We envision a community dedicated to prayer. We believe prayer changes lives. We are committed to regular daily personal prayer. We are also committed to participation in group prayer. When problems arise or decisions are needed, we commit ourselves first, to praying ~ then doing whatever else seems necessary or appropriate. In some situations we will “fast” as we pray.
4. Committed to worship;
We envision a community of people committed to regular, joyful, passionate worship of God ~ worship that engages the mind, spirit and emotions ~ worship that enables people to encounter and respond to God ~ worship aimed at “loving the Lord with all our heart, mind and soul.” We are dedicated to regular participation in Sunday worship and envision a worship style that includes Christ-centered preaching, music in many forms, prayer, use of creative arts (drama, dance, video, DVD, etc.) and technology, to draw people to the majestic presence of God.
5. Maintaining relationships that honor Christ;
We are committed to treating one another as we would wish to be treated, both inside and outside the church, “loving our neighbors as ourselves.” We intend to demonstrate positive, warm, encouraging, uplifting fellowship as demonstrated in the Bible. We wish to be an example of what it means to be God’s family ~ caring for one another ~ relating to one another with honor and respect.
We envision a community faithful to biblical conflict resolution. We will speak to one another, but not about one another. If conflict occurs, we will deal with it immediately, personally and directly. If difficult things need to be discussed or handled, we will always temper matters with love. We will treat gossip, factions and slander as seriously as we would adultery or larceny. We will utilize Matthew 18:15-17 as the basis for resolving wounded relationships, and will not stop until relationships are resolved and peace and brotherhood are restored. We are willing to use “church discipline” to maintain peace and purity. We value unity in Christ and pledge ourselves to being on the boat or off the boat, but not rocking the boat.
We intend to actively look for practical ways to express God’s love among us. In spite of our warts, we intend to love each other as Christ instructed. We want to share our lives and our talents with one another, and commit to strengthening and uplifting one another, bearing one another’s burdens as best we may.
6. Built around small groups;
We want to build our church upon small groups. Through this means we will learn to love each other as we really are, and know one another well enough to pray intelligently for each others’ real issues. We will use small groups to care for one another when in need, and also to serve others.
7. Willing to change as needed;
We envision a community not attached to methodology or form. We will continually challenge ourselves to remain flexible, adjusting our methods as often as necessary to effectively communicate the message of Christ. We will continually strive to follow God’s lead in creatively reaching people for Christ. We recognize that each new generation has its own unique features, needs and challenges, and commit ourselves to overcoming the failure of Joshua’s generation.
We envision a community of believers willing to take risks, and to challenge ourselves. We will seriously work to overcome the spiritual lethargy of complacency. We will strive to take ourselves outside our comfort zones and protective boundaries, in order to reach others for Christ.
8. Raising up and respecting godly leaders;
We envision a community that identifies, trains, challenges and deploys godly leaders. We commit ourselves to mentoring for the purposes of passing along godly wisdom from one generation to the next, and for spawning next-generation leaders.
We see a church committed to respecting its leadership, whether Pastor, Elder, or other. We pledge ourselves to support, pray for, encourage, and submit ourselves to those whom God has placed in leadership within our church.
We envision Elders providing spiritual leadership. Scripture shows that as Paul started churches, he also established Elders. We believe the biblical model of church leadership involves Elders and are committed to supporting Elder leadership.
9. Prioritizing outreach and discipleship;
We envision a community more committed to reaching those who don’t know Christ, than to those already safely “in the fold.” We commit to figuring out how to win people for Christ. We envision training people in the ways of Christ. We commit to creating numerous pathways of spiritual growth within Point of Grace.
We commit to supporting local, national and international missions, with a special emphasis upon individual involvement in short-term missions. We envision prioritizing our church’s budget with an emphasis on investing our dollars where we see God’s work occurring.
10. Shaping our region for Christ;
We envision providing moral and ethical leadership within our community, standing tall and becoming personally involved in causes which further the objectives of Christ’s Kingdom. We are willing to challenge community leaders on moral/ethical issues. We are committed to being “salt and light” within our community.
We intend to demonstrate our faith through involvement in a variety of community activities. We envision helping hurting people, enabling them to see the love of God through the hands-on efforts of Point people.
11. Committed to regular personal ministry;
We envision a community of believers in which all who attend worship on Sundays are also actively involved in using the gifts God has given them. We will pray that God brings “doers,” not “pew-sitters” to Point of Grace. We believe that God gave gifts to His people so that they could do good deeds and demonstrate His love.
We are committed to equipping our Point Family for service to Christ, and then challenging ourselves to active, regular, personal service to Christ. We expect each of our Point Family to be involved, somehow, in ministry. We picture a community in which each person demonstrates a servant’s heart within personal ministry, whether inside or outside the “four walls” of the church.
12. Committed to spiritual vitality and growth;
We want to build a community in which each person has regular personal Quiet Time, including Bible reading and prayer. We envision people continually pursuing a deeper and more committed relationship with Jesus Christ.
We are committed to tithing of our resources. We see the tithe as being God’s traditional way of providing for His church, and we commit ourselves to applying this spiritual discipline to our own lives and budgets. We also realize that “giving” doesn’t stop with money, so we commit ourselves to giving generously of our time and abilities, to help build the Kingdom of Christ.
We envision a community of believers whose personal relationship with God results in a spiritual vitality that is characterized by daily obedience, humble dependence, loving demeanor, and a servant’s heart. We believe there should be a noticeable difference between the lifestyles of Christ-followers and those of unbelievers, and that this difference is the result of the indwelling presence of God’s Spirit.
13. Committed to working with other churches.
We envision a church that is as supportive and encouraging as possible to other Christian churches in our community. We intend to work shoulder-to-shoulder with other churches in our community in our mutual quest to spread the Gospel. We will do whatever we may to help other churches in our community.
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About Point of Grace